


In the Palace Gardens

by Beleriandings



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-01
Updated: 2013-10-01
Packaged: 2017-12-28 04:26:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/987626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beleriandings/pseuds/Beleriandings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Turgon and his siblings spend a summer day in the gardens of Finwë's palace. Things do not go quite as expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Palace Gardens

Turukáno turned the final page of his book and set it down on the grass beside him. He sighed, letting himself enjoy the momentary hazy feeling as his mind surfaced from the story, back to the real world around him. He stretched, leaning back against the trunk of the cherry tree, feeling its rough bark against his skin through the thin fabric of his tunic. It had been one of those summer days that never seemed to end, when the heat rose up in waves and Laurelin’s light burned the skin unless one sought shade, when the pace of life in Tirion slowed to a comfortably sleepy crawl. On days like this, he and his siblings would spend long, lazy hours in the palace gardens, with their lush green grass and broad boulevards of cherry trees, heavy with sweet, bright fruit. The thought of his siblings made him look up, squinting even in the dappled Treelight as he looked around for some sign of them. He smiled as he saw Findekáno lying on his back fast asleep a short distance away, his hair spread out in the grass and a small pile of cherry stones beside him. Then he frowned. Where were Arakáno and Irissë?

 

Going over to his brother, he shook Findekáno’s shoulder gently. His eyelids fluttered open a crack.

“Mmph… what is it, Turno?” Findekáno muttered.

“Amil told you to watch Irissë and Arakáno. But they’re gone.”

“Gone? Are you sure?” Findekáno paused, sitting up. “Hey! You were supposed to be looking after them too!”

“I was reading! And you’re the eldest. It’s not my fault you fell asleep!”

Findekáno stood up, rubbing his eyes and looking around. “They can’t have gone far. We can - ”

But he was interrupted by a yell, and from out of a nearby row of decorative bushes ran Arakáno. His hair and clothes were soaked, and leaves and flower petals clung to him. His face was streaked with tears. He barrelled into Findekáno with enough force to make him stagger backwards to keep his balance, with a muffled curse. Turukáno winced. His youngest brother was still no taller than Findekáno’s waist, but he seemed to be growing with alarming speed, and did not quite realise his own strength. Now Arakáno had clamped his arms around Findekáno’s thigh, and was pressing his face into his brother’s stomach and sobbing, wiping his nose on Findekáno’s tunic. Irissë appeared from out of the bushes too, looking on with mild amusement.

“Arko! What  _happened_?” asked Findekáno, pushing his brother’s dripping hair out of his face whilst simultaneously trying to extricate himself, with little success. But Arakáno only sobbed harder, gasping and hiccupping.

“Ambarussa and Ambarto pushed him into the royal fountain” explained Irissë, matter-of-factly.

Findekáno’s brow furrowed. “Fëanáro’s family is here today? Maitimo didn’t mention that.”

Irissë only shrugged.

Arakáno stopped crying, tilting his head back to look up at Findekáno with wide, beseeching blue eyes. “Finno! They’re horrible, I hate them! Come and tell them off for me! Please?”

Findekáno looked down at Arakáno. “Is Maitimo here too? Who’s supposed to be looking after the twins?”

“Don’t know.”

Findekáno sighed. “Alright, I’ll talk to them.”

Arakáno seemed to cheer up immediately, squeezing Findekáno’s leg harder. “I love you, Finno!” Then he took Findekáno’s hand, leading him towards the fountain. Irissë followed, a strange smile on her face. Turukáno, intrigued as to how events would play out, brought up the rear, picking up his book as he went.

The fountain was more of a pool really, wide and dug down much deeper than it looked from far away. At the centre was an elaborate statue of Ulmo with jets of clear water gushing from his hands, surrounded by carved stone Maiar tinged slightly green with algae. The whole circular basin of the fountain was surrounded by a low wall onto which Findekáno now climbed, to get a better view as he scanned the garden for the twins. Arakáno and Irissë clambered up on either side of him, each taking one of his hands.

“Where did they go, Arko?” asked Findekáno. “Are you sure they were - ”

“Finno!” Suddenly Turukáno realised what was going to happen. But it was too late.

There was a cry that turned into a gurgle, as Arakáno and Irissë gave Findekáno a simultaneous hard push forwards, sending him toppling forwards into the fountain.

He surfaced, coughing and pushing his hair out of his face as he trod water.

“Arakáno, you little –  _you made it all up_ , didn’t you?”

Arakáno and Irissë were doubled over with laughter. “Actually, _I_  made it up” cackled Irissë. “But Arko was kind enough to jump into the water and pretend to cry to make you believe it!”

“And you fell for it!” chipped in Arakáno, giggling.

“Right. That’s it.” Before Arakáno and Irisse could protest, Findekáno was reaching up and grabbing their ankles, pulling them both into the water after him. Arakáno shrieked happily as he spat out water at Findekáno, paddling in circles and ducking under the water as Irissë splashed him.

“Coming in, Turno?”

He hesitated. But he could feel the back of his neck prickling with sweat in the heat, and the water looked deliciously cool and inviting. Quickly he slipped off his shoes and his tunic, placing the book carefully aside and lowering himself gingerly into the clear pool. He swam a short distance, keeping his head above the water, but before he knew what was going on, Irissë was splashing him, even as Arakáno clung to his back, pushing him beneath the water. His resurfaced, coughing, in a glittering stream of bubbles, to see Findekáno grinning at him. Half scowling and half smiling, he tried to splash Findekáno, who dodged aside just in time.

Suddenly, the smile fell from Findekáno’s face. Turukáno turned around in the water, following Findekáno’s gaze, as Arakáno clung to his arm, sniffling. Their father stood at the edge of the fountain, gazing down at them, a stern look on his face.

“Atar!” exclaimed Findekáno. “I – I can explain…”

But their father was already laughing and shaking his head. “Royal princes and princesses indeed. Do not worry, Finno. If anyone asks, I did not see this.”

Findekáno seemed to sag with relief. “You won’t even tell amil?”

“Not a word, I promise.”


End file.
